The compass given to “our fathers” (v. 38) has reference to Lehi and Ishmael as they traveled from the valley of Lemuel near the Red Sea to the land of Bountiful and the sea they named Irreantum. Irreantum means many waters (see 1 Nephi 16:10–17:5). This was an eight-year trek (see 1 Nephi 17:4) and a strenuous journey (see 1 Nephi 17:1–2), but it could have been made much quicker and with less difficulty had the group collectively been more faithful (Alma 37:30–42). Neither the 1 Nephi account or the account of Alma give us any details of their travels. Alma again refers to the compass as a “small (spiritual) means” (Alma 37:41).
Alma retold the account to make a “shadow” or a “type” (v. 45) and to show a comparison to their life for Helaman (v. 43). In the comparison, the compass is likened to the words of Christ. The land of promise is the land Bountiful and the land of the Americas, which is likened to the eternal land of promise, or the celestial kingdom (vv. 44–45) as charted below.
VALLEY OF LEMUEL LIAHONA PROMISED LAND MORTAL LIFE WORDS OF CHRIST CELESTIAL KINGDOM
The easiness of the way (v. 46) suggests that Lehi’s group did not consult the Liahona when their travels were not difficult, and they got lost or went in the wrong direction. The type drawn by Alma is that we do not look to God when life seems to have no challenges, but we follow our own reasoning or judgment. God has given us a compass, the words of Christ, but we fail to use them and lose sight of our goal of eternal life. Thus, Alma’s plea to Helaman, and God’s plea to us, is “to look to God and live [eternally happy]” (vv. 46–47).